Draw-bar and coupling-head support.



H. E. VAN DORN.

DRAW BAR AND COUPLING HEAD SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26. 1915.

' Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEET'SSHEET I.

H. E'. VAN HORN.

DRAW BAH AND COUPLING HEM) SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 26; I9l5.

m Nov, 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-MEET 2- HERBERT E. VAN BORN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAW-BAR AND COUPLING-HEAD SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2th, 191?.

Application filed November 26, 1915. Serial No. 63,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. VAN Donn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bar and Coupling-Head Supports; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of ref erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved type of drawbar having associated therewith a supporting means for a coupler head or drawhead which is adjustably mounted upon the end of the drawbar.

It is an object therefore of this invention to provide a drawbar so constructed as to permit adaptation thereto of supporting means for a drawhead pivoted on the end of the drawbar in a manner to permit adjustirig movements of the drawhead to take ace.

p It is also an object of this invention to construct a drawbar having a yoke shaped and cored out end to receive a drawhead pivotally mounted therein, together with resilient means bearing against a pivoted lever which acts to support the drawhead normally alined with the drawbar.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a drawhead support upon a draw bar which operates to resiliently support the drawhead or coupler head in a position alined for coupling, and yet yieldably acting to permit relative movement of the drawhead with respect to the drawbar after coupling.

It is furthermore an important object of this invention to provide a construction involving the use of a pivotally mounted drawbar having one end cored out to receive a coiled spring vertically disposed therein bearing upon one end of a lever pivoted in the lower extension at the end of the drawbar, the other end of said lever bearing upwardly beneath a drawhead pivoted in said yoked end of the drawbar to normally maintain said drawhead substantially ,alined with the drawbar.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct an improved type of associated drawbar and drawhead with novel means of Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of a car frame illustrating a drawbar and drawhead embodying the principles of my invention associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the drawbar and drawhead connected upon a draft gear all shown detached from the car.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, with parts shown in elevation.

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on line 66 of Fig. 3. i

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates as a whole the main frame of a car, and 2, the platform extension thereof, and rigidly secured to the main frame 1, of the car is a draft gear 3, of any conventional type,'one of the movable members of which is provided with a yoke 4, in which is pivoted a drawbar 5, held connected therein by means of a pintle bolt 6. Formed at the outer end of said drawbar 5, is a yoke 7, through which extends a horizontal pin or pivot bolt 8, on which is pivoted a drawhead 9/ At the rear of the pintle bolt 8, a cored out recess is formed in the end of said drawbar 5, provided with a transverse partition 10, having an aperture therethrough through which extends a compression spring 11, coiled about a bolt 12, the upper end of said spring bearing against the top wall of the recess, and the lower end bearing against a tiltable washer 13, surrounding said. bolt 12, and which is pivotally mounted on the end of a lever or arm 15, which is pivoted on a transverse pivot bolt let, the other end of said lever bearing upwardly beneath the drawhead to support the same, preventing the same swinging downwardly by gravity about its pivot bolt 8. A pair of nuts 16, is threaded on thelower end of said bolt 12,

to retain the slotted end of said lever engaged thereon against the compression of said spring 11.

For the purpose of supporting the outer end of said drawbar 5, on which said drawhead 8, is connected, a curved flat bar or track member 17, is secured beneath the plat form extension 2, of the car, and slidably engaged thereon is a block or carrier frame 18, having a curved T-shaped groove or channel 19, in the upper portion thereof, which fits around said bar or track member 17. In the lower portion of said block 18, another T-shaped channel or groove is formed through which slidably extends a T- shaped member 20, formed on the upper end of the drawbar 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, so that as a consequence the drawbar is supported upon said track 17 as it swings about its pivot bolt 6, in all positions of adjustment, and is capable of a longitudinal movement due to variation in position of parts of the draft gear due to the sliding connection of the drawbar and said block 18.

The operation is thought to be obvious from the description. However, the drawbar 5, is permitted a pivotal movement about its pivot bolt 6, sliding together with said block 18, upon the curved track 17, but in the event of longitudinal movement of said drawbar, due to draft or buffing stresses imparted thereto, the drawbar shdes through said block 18. In all positions of the drawbar the compression spring 11, bearing downwardly upon the tiltable washer which rests upon one end of the lever 1315, acts to thrust the other end of said lever upwardly beneath the drawhead 9, to hold the same substantially alined with the drawbar 5, in position for coupling. The pair of nuts 16, may be screwed up and down the bolt 12, changing the position of the lever 18, and the swivel washer 21, against the compression spring 11, and thereby changing the position of the other end 15, of the lever which supports the drawhead 9, so that the vertical position of the drawhead 9, may be re-adjusted to the proper height for coupling, to meet variations in cars due to differences in car heights caused by different sizes of car wheels or setting of truck springs, and at the same time, allowing the drawhead 9, to have vertical movement upon the pivot pin 8.

In operation the drawhead 9, pivoting upward on its bolt 8, lifts free from the supporting lever 15, but when pivoting downward against the lever 15, the lever pivots on the bolt 14, and the other end of the lever is swung upward, lifting the swivel washer 13, which pivots, preventing the base of the spring from tipping and causing cramping while it is being compressed. The

weet bolt 12, stands idle as the lever and washer are raised, due to clearance of slots in same, through which the bolt extends.

I am aware that various details of con struction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art,

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a pivotally mounted drawbar, a yoke formed at the outer end thereof, a drawhead mounted in said yoke and having pivotal movement with respect thereto, a lever mounted beneath said drawhead and pivoted in the end of said drawbar, one end of said lever bearing upwardly beneath said drawhead a tilting washer on the other end of said lever, and a spring disposed within the end of said drawbar and bearing downwardly against said washer to normally support the drawhead substantially alined for coupling.

2. In a device of the class described, a drawbar, a slidable carrier block therefor, a drawhead pivoted in the end of the drawbar, and resilient means mounted within the end of said drawbar to support said drawhead substantially alined for coupling.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a drawbar and slidable means supporting the forward end thereof, a drawhead pivotally mounted therein, of a lever pivoted on the end of said drawbar, a tiltable washer on one end thereof, a coiled spring mounted within said drawbar and bearing against said washer to impel the lever against the drawhead to maintain the same substantially alined for coupling.

4. In a device of the class described, a drawbar, a drawhead in the end thereof, a lever pivoted beneath said drawhead, one end of said lever bearing upwardly beneath said drawhead, the other end of said lever directed rearwardly and disposed beneath said drawbar, a bolt secured in said drawbar and engaging through a slot in said rearwardly directed end of said lever, and a coiled spring coiled about said bolt and bearing against the inner wall of the drawbar and adapted to exert a thrust against the end of said lever to impel the same in a direction to support the drawhead substantially alined for coupling.

5. In a device of the class described, a drawbar, a drawhead pivotedin the end thereof, a lever pivoted beneath the drawhead at the outer end of the drawbar, one end of said lever bearing against the drawhead, a tiltable washer on the other end of said lever, a spring within the drawbar bearing against the top inner wall of said drawbar and seated upon said washer, a bolt secured through said wall of the drawbar and extending through the spring and washer and through a slot provided in the rear end of said lever, and adjusting nuts on the lower end of said bolt for adjustment of the stress on said spring and the position of the drawhead.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a drawbar and means engaging the forward end thereof to support said drawbar of a drawhead pivoted on said drawbar, and resilient means mounted within said drawbar and disposed to maintain said drawhead alined for coupling and permitting relative movement between said drawhead and drawbar after coupling of 15 said drawhead.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my-name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT E. VAN DORN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. HILLS, J r., EARL M. HARDINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

